Chair lift derailed at Whiteface

[markGore]

Came across the following article in First tracks, was anyone on the lift? The article called it the Freeway lift. I'm guessing that this is the lift that goes up to the top of Parkway and starts near the bottom of Parkway.

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/News/2010/12/30/Chairlift-Cable-Derails-at-Whiteface/

[Ullr]

Came across the following article in First tracks, was anyone on the lift? The article called it the Freeway lift. I'm guessing that this is the lift that goes up to the top of Parkway and starts near the bottom of Parkway.

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/News/2010/12/30/Chairlift-Cable-Derails-at-Whiteface/

The way I got it from the horses mouth was that a female ski patroller was on the lift and being evacuated by other patrollers. She somehow got the rope tangled around her neck and choked until passing out. The revived her on the hill and it is said she is now alright.
I have my reservations about the patrol at Whiteface. They let one patroller bring down a sled without a backup, which doesn't happen at any other ski area I know of unless on a beginner slope and almost lost a sled on a expert slope with a patient in it a few years ago.
I think WF is on a downward slide. What do you think?

[zski]

that is a difficult evac since the lift goes over 3 cliffs at the bottom and and over all that rock at the top

i heard that a begininer that didn't belong on a lift that only serves expert trails caused the derail by trying to ride the lift around the bull wheel and back down

[oldskibum]

The way I got it, from the victims husband, is that the rope would not pass through the "rope saver" over the cable, leaving her dangling part way down. Excessive pressure on nerves and blood vessels under her arms caused her to pass out. She is home recuperating, and doing therapy to regain complete use of her arm (don't know which one). She currently has about 30% use of it right now. I was told this on Wed. 1/5/11.